Uptake Clients Deer to be Different

Uptake Clients Deer to be Different

By Tristan Hooker/MediaPA

Clients of Taupo’s Uptake fertilisers are an upbeat lot. Why wouldn’t they be? After all, they’ve discovered that the secret to a healthy and successful farm lies in testing and treating the soil first, leading to more balanced nutritious pastures, healthier stock, increased production and weight gains.

“We like our animals to have a natural environment as much as possible,” says Uptake’s Tarnia Morris. “We are unlike traditional farmers as we start at the soil first for our animal health instead of supplementing the animal.”

Mr Peters and his wife Pam run a 400-hectare farm in Taihape. They have been with Uptake since 1992. The farm has been through tough times, such as the winter of 1992, which was one of the wettest winters on record and changed landscape of their farm.

“Half the countryside headed for the sea,” says Mr Peters.

Mr Peters is the Taihape Deer Farmers branch chairman. He says deer have historically been difficult to farm because in the wild they graze on many different types of vegetation, giving them an adequate supply of nutrients.

“The signs of deer craving nutrients can be trees being ring barked, californian thistles being eaten and lichen being eaten off rocks.

“The answer to mineral deficiencies, excesses and imbalances lie in the soil and the plants that grow in that soil. To have a balanced pasture it is important to have a balanced state of soil fertility.”

Mr Peters says by using Uptake’s fertilising plan, soil fertility has been achieved, giving stock access to essential nutrients and eating healthy on a daily basis. He says the deer in pastures which have been fertilised with Uptake are content, have a good coat colour and display good overall health.

“Our animals perform very well,” says Mr Peters. “The use of oral supplements has not been necessary in the deer grazing on Uptake applied pastures.